Farm Fresh Blog

During most of my police career I was blessed with co-workers who treated me as an equal, as a sister, or as a daughter, and still today I maintain many of those friendships. Since these dear friends know me so well, they won't be surprised or offended to learn that I like my new co-workers better!

Work for a dog on a ranch can certainly be similar to police work. The job is about taking care of others. There are long hours in all kinds of weather. Sometimes you work in the heat. Sometimes you work in the rain. Either way, most of the time it's dirty work.

Somebody has to be in charge and the people enforcing the laws are often not well liked by those who are told what to do, but if society, or a ranch, is to run smoothly, you need sheepdogs.

Part of the job is rule enforcement.

Part of the job is community service.

Fortunately for those being served, it's not a popularity contest, because given a vote, sheep and goats would likely vote against having sheepdogs altogether. Like police officers and soldiers, sheepdogs are often tasked with serving a population that would rather pretend coyotes didn't exist.

But they do.

And fortunately for Rosie, so do sheepdogs.

Rosie chose to sneak away and have her babies in a tangled mass of briars, mesquite saplings, and black locust trees. Everything in here has thorns. It is hard for a human to navigate in this mess, but easy enough for a coyote.

Judge led me through the thicket to the new babies.

He was rewarded for his efforts when Rosie t-boned him.

Although Rosie didn't appreciate Judge's presence, he still brought help, and the babies were moved to the safety of the barn.

With everyone tucked away, the sheepdogs can go back to work, watching for things the sheep prefer not to see.